• I was one of the lucky ones. Quitting wasn’t hard; I just went cold turkey. In the past 25 years I’ve smoked maybe 6 or 7? Half of those, I was out in Singapore with a bunch of sales people from my company, and seriously, they just kept offering them and eventually I smoked a couple. But, I’ve never been prone to addiction, thank goodness, because I have no willpower to speak of.

    For me, it’s situational. At first, it’d be after dinner was the worst cravings, but also seeing people light up in movies - only in movies theaters, though. But just random. The last time I had a craving was probably 6 or 7 years ago… until this series of ads. And it’s been bad, because I mainly smoked Camels, and Lucky Strikes when I lived in Germany. If these ads had been for Marlborough, or some other brands, it wouldn’t be so bad, but OP’d been choosing my favorites.

    Of you’re 8 years out, you can do it. Especially if you stay away from situations where people offer them to you. It’s way easier, for me at least, to not buy a pack than it is to turn down a friendly offer.

    You know, I never dream about smoking. Maybe I use to; I don’t remember. But good luck! You’re going great.

    • Coelacanth
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      35 months ago

      I quit cold turkey too. Took a lot of willpower since I loved smoking. I think the psychological aspect is the stickiest part of my addiction. Even though the physical addiction has to have subsided by now I’ll never stop missing the intangibles. The small meditative aspect to smoke breaks, gathering your thoughts. The smoke alongside your black morning coffee. Always having something to keep your hands busy, like a social shield when you’re among people or preventing boredom and loneliness when you’re waiting for a train. Even the taste of it, that I unironically enjoyed.

      Never was a Camel man myself, though. I actually really liked Gitanes when I was in France, otherwise Benson & Hedges was my brand. Smoked a lot of Luckies too, though. We’re easier to find around here.

      • I like the taste of cigarettes, cigars, and (especially) pipes more than I like the taste of coffee, and I really like coffee.

        All those things you mentioned were big losses; I really do think there after-meal smoke was the hardest to let go of. Someone posted something about how cigarettes are actually bad for your digestion, but it doesn’t feel like it. In fact, it feels like the opposite.

        Aw, man. If I survive my wife, I’m going to take smoking back up again. By then, cancer from smoking is statistically unlikely to be what gets me.